Posted on 04/28/2004 6:10:35 AM PDT by The Mayor
POLITICS
Hearing on Controversial Dem Memos Could Be Soon
By David Brody
Congressional Correspondent
April 27, 2004
The content of the memos detail how Democrats on the
Senate Judiciary Committee seem to be taking marching
orders from liberal special-interest groups,
when it comes to derailing President Bush's judicial nominees.
CBN.com – CAPITOL HILL - Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee may find themselves on the hot seat soon, especially Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA).
CBN News has learned that there is a good chance the Senate will hold hearings on Democratic memos that reveal possible collusion and obstruction of justice between some Democratic senators and liberal special-interest groups.A Washington source is telling CBN News that a hearing on these controversial memos could be held in the Senate sometime before the election, possibly sooner. And when the spotlight shines, Sen. Kennedy's role in all of this is expected to take center stage.
The content of the memos detail how Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee seem to be taking marching orders from liberal special-interest groups, when it comes to derailing President Bush's judicial nominees. And one of those memos involves the appearance of conflict of interest in an important court case at the time.A Kennedy staffer, Olati Johnson, wrote that memo. In the memo, she urged Sen. Kennedy to try to delay the confirmation of Julia Gibbons to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
At the time, that court was about to rule on an affirmative action case. The memo urged that the judge's nomination be delayed so that the court would rule the way liberals wanted- in favor of affirmative action.
The memo says, "The thinking is that the current 6th Circuit will sustain the affirmative action program, but if a new judge with conservative views is confirmed before the case is decided, that new judge will be able, under 6th Circuit rules, to review the case and vote on it."
It turns out that is exactly what happened. Gibbons was confirmed after the case was decided in favor of affirmative action. And it also turns out that before working for Kennedy, Johnson was co-counsel in that affirmative action case.
George Washington University Law professor Jonathan Turley says this smacks of conflict of interest.
Turley said, "When it comes to ethical and legal matters, this is pretty much a 20-car pileup. It is a very serious issue."
And it goes even deeper. The memo also reveals that Johnson consulted Kennedy's chief counsel at the time, Melody Barnes, and they both expressed concern about what they were doing.
Johnson said, "Melody and I are a little concerned about the propriety of scheduling hearings based on the resolution of a particular case. Nevertheless, we recommend that Gibbons be scheduled for a later hearing."
"What is astonishing," said Turley, "is that Sen. Kennedy has not come forward that to say this is an improper type of conduct for his staff."
As to what exactly Sen. Kennedy's role was in all of this, that is unclear. But if or when these hearings get started, the topic is expected to come up. Turley believes a congressional investigation is needed.
"What is at stake here, is the process and the integrity of both the United States Senate and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals," Turley said. "These are allegations that have not been fully answered."
They knew what they were doing and did it anyway.
How will kennedy spin this, most likely they will concentrate on the theft of the memo's and blame it on the republicans.
This country is a country that thrives on sound bites and only the demonrat sound bites ever make it into the news.
It disgusts me that not one of the news agencies has picked this up.
Perhaps the media thinks that Democratic corruption is not newsworthy.
They're not news agencies anymore. They are propaganda machines..and they ain't fighting for us.
You are participating right now in one of the few legitimate "news agencies".
Feel good about it. I do.
Oh I do beleive me, that's why I'm addicted....
Uh, Mr. Turley, get a grip. This is how the Massachusetts Senator-Swimmer has been conducting his business since he cold-bloodedly murdered Mary Jo Kopechne 30-odd years ago.
His constituents are as stupid as he is corrupt. They have allowed the monster to grow to leviathan proportions. So be it.
I see no reason to think that senate RINOs are growing a backbone. Maybe if Toomey took out Specter, there might be some hope, but the RINOs control the Senate...they jump across the party lines to control what does and does not get done. They are the reason we don't have conservative judges.
On the "dog bites man" principle, it's not.
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